Sports Digest GAA: Kilkenny Cats top Tipperary in League Final victory

“You could say that for a number of our players, even though they weren’t playing well I still think they stayed wanting to win the game which again, I say, is a great sign of a team in terms of what we’re trying to do here. We’re not at the level we want to be yet at all and we’ll be trying very hard to get there.”

Kilkenny Won’t Appeal Red
KILKENNY have opted not to appeal the red card issued to JJ Delaney for an altercation with Lar Corbett in last Sunday’s NHL final. The pair were dismissed after trading blows, with Delaney set to miss the opening Leinster SHC game against Offaly through suspension next month.

Kilkenny selector Michael Dempsey said, “Obviously we have a serious game in five weeks with Offaly. JJ is a huge loss -- I thought he was majestic while he was on the pitch. I didn’t see the incident, but he’s a huge loss. We’ll just have to get on with it.”

Tipperary have yet to decide if they will appeal Corbett’s dismissal.

“Larry is a fantastic player and he is still a fantastic player,” said O’Shea.

“I have to be honest, I didn’t actually see it. I mean, two players were grappling on the ground. I couldn’t see what happened. Sometimes a referee sends players off, sometimes he doesn’t. I have absolutely no problem with the referee today. The referee for me had a fine game.”

Corbett spent time in hospital on Sunday night when it was confirmed he broke two ribs in the game.
Tyrone Waits in the Wings
TYRONE boss Mickey Harte says his team are due a championship victory over All-Ireland winners Donegal ahead of their big match in Ballybofey on May 26.

Defeats to Donegal in their last two Ulster semifinals will act as a spur for Tyrone says their boss.
Harte said, “It wouldn’t be right in a team affair to take things personally. I think collectively, you see it as a collective effort. Collectively, we owe Donegal a defeat in the championship. That goes without saying because the results in the last two years tell us that.

“But it’s nothing personal. Nothing personal between myself and Jim McGuinness or anything like that. We’re part of a unit, they’re part of a unit and we’d like our unit to win this time.

Antrim Starts With a Win
ANTRIM were full value for an eight-point win over Westmeath in the opening round of the Leinster SHC in Mullingar on Sunday.

Manager Kevin Ryan said afterwards, “I still feel there is a lot more in us. We need to loosen up a little bit more. It is still a reasonable score, 3-18 is good enough for most games.

“I just feel we have the players and we just need to bring it out. I’d like to see more points on the board, even though they were going for goals a bit. I still think there is a good future there for them regardless what happens in the next few weeks.”
No More Guinness
GUINNESS has ended an 18-year association with the GAA as sponsors of the All-Ireland hurling championship. The decision was made last week ahead of government proposals to ban alcohol sponsorship of sporting events.

The Dublin based brewery will remain as “proud partners” of the GAA with American insurance company Liberty tipped to replace them as hurling sponsors.